Total soil carbon sensing system

Abstract

An in-situ, or interfacial, soil sensor is provided, which includes one or more electrodes. Th soil sensor is configured to detect levels of total soil carbon in a sample of soil, the sensor including: a working electrode coated in a composite sensing coating, where the composite sensing coating includes: an active sensing component comprising an organic carbon sensing element functionalized to detect organic carbon moieties and an inorganic carbon sensing element functionalized to detect inorganic carbon moieties, and further includes an encapsulant component.

1 - 44 . (canceled) 
     
     
         45 . An apparatus comprising:
 a sensor to detect levels of total soil carbon in a sample of soil, the sensor comprising:
 a working electrode coated in a composite sensing coating, wherein the composite sensing coating comprises:
 an active sensing component comprising an organic carbon sensing element functionalized to detect organic carbon moieties and an inorganic carbon sensing element functionalized to detect inorganic carbon moieties; and 
 an encapsulant component comprising a polymer membrane network; and 
 
   another electrode, wherein the sensor comprises an in-situ soil sensor.   
     
     
         46 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the organic carbon sensing element comprises a room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL). 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus of  claim 46 , wherein the RTIL comprises [EMIMTF2N]. 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the inorganic carbon sensing element comprises calixarene. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein composite sensing coating further comprises a sealant component, and the sealant component acts as a support electrolyte for electrochemical transduction. 
     
     
         50 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the other electrode comprises a reference electrode and a counter electrode, and the composite sensing coating is only layered over the working electrode. 
     
     
         51 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , further comprising circuitry to:
 apply an alternating current (AC) voltage; and   detect impedance at the sensor based on presence of a carbon complex comprising organic carbon and inorganic carbon in the soil sample, wherein the voltage is applied across the working electrode and the other electrode.   
     
     
         52 . The apparatus of  claim 51 , wherein the voltage is applied according to a particular frequency associated with detection of varied levels of soil carbon. 
     
     
         53 . A method comprising:
 applying a voltage across a working electrode and reference electrode of an in-situ soil sensor deployed in a soil sample, wherein the working electrode is coated with a composite sensing coating comprising an active sensing component, an encapsulant component, and a sealant component, wherein the active sensing component comprises an organic carbon sensing element functionalized to detect organic carbon moieties and an inorganic carbon sensing element functionalized to detect inorganic carbon moieties; and   generating impedance signals at the in-situ soil sensor, wherein the impedance signals are generated based on concentration of inorganic soil carbon and organic soil carbon in the soil sample, wherein the active sensing component is configured to detect a concentration of a carbon complex in the soil sample, and the carbon complex comprises both organic carbon moieties and inorganic carbon moieties.   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising determining, from the impedance signals, a concentration of total soil carbon within the soil sample. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 53 , further comprising transmitting a signal to another computing device to identify the impedance signals to the other computing device, wherein the other computing device determines the concentration of total soil carbon within the soil sample. 
     
     
         56 . A composite coating to interact with a carbon complex comprising inorganic carbon and organic carbon, wherein the composite coating comprises:
 an organic carbon sensing element functionalized to detect organic carbon moieties;   an inorganic carbon sensing element functionalized to detect inorganic carbon moieties; and   a polymer membrane network.   
     
     
         57 . The composite coating of  claim 56 , wherein the organic carbon sensing element comprises a room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL). 
     
     
         58 . The composite coating of  claim 57 , wherein the RTIL comprises [EMIMTF2N] and the inorganic carbon sensing element comprises calixarene. 
     
     
         59 . The composite coating of  claim 56 , comprising a mixture of the organic carbon sensing element, the inorganic carbon sensing element, and the polymer membrane network 
     
     
         60 . The composite coating of  claim 56 , wherein the composite coating is adapted for screen printing or drop casting onto a surface of a sensor electrode. 
     
     
         61 . A system comprising:
 a sensor device comprising:
 a plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises a working electrode coated in a composite sensing coating, wherein the composite sensing coating comprises an active sensing component functionalized to detect both organic carbon moieties and inorganic carbon moieties and an encapsulant component, and a sealant component, wherein the active sensing component comprises a composite of an organic carbon sensing element and an inorganic carbon sensing element, and the organic carbon sensing element comprises a room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL), wherein the sealant component comprises a polymer membrane network; and 
 circuitry to generate a signal to identify an impedance or a current based on concentration of total soil carbon in a soil sample when in contact with the plurality of electrodes, wherein the total soil carbon comprises organic soil carbon and inorganic soil carbon; and 
   an analysis system comprising:
 a processor; 
 analytics logic executable by the processor to determine, from the impedance, a value of the concentration of total soil carbon in the soil sample. 
   
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 61 , further comprising a plurality of sensor devices deployed in a plurality of soil samples within an environment. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the sensor device comprises an in situ soil sensor. 
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the analysis system is to collect a series of readings over time and determine changes in the concentration of the total soil carbon from the series of readings.